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Technical
How do you manage a high-end residential project?
Mike Vasilou DoBuild
A full refurbishment was delivered, with new floor finishes and decoration (Image: Profotodesign.com)
Mike Vasiliou MCIOB, founder of DoBuild, a construction company specialising in high-end residential projects across London, talks through a recent project.
We recently completed an extension and refurbishment to a grand Victorian terrace in Chelsea, which I project managed. Having started working on this project during the lockdown period, it is wonderful to now see the project completed, as the build process was not straightforward due to the impact of the pandemic.
The owners of the home, a family with young children, wanted to significantly extend it to add space for the growing family, alongside a total refurbishment and environment upgrade.
Increased external factors
With every project it is important to keep to the build schedule, to avoid delays, additional costs and disruption to our clients. With this project there were increased external factors, due to the challenges we all faced with supply chain issues, staffing and other impacts of the pandemic.
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Thanks to our many years of experience we were able to positively problem solve, tackling issues as and when they arose.
A large open-plan kitchen connects to the garden with glazed sliding doors
We always work closely with our client and architect to ensure the smooth running of a project. This was even more important during this project as we experienced many material delays. We were able to quickly suggest and source alternatives that had short lead times – but more importantly that were in keeping with their strong scheme vision.
It is always so important to follow the project specifications and detailed drawings throughout a build, liaising with the architectural team to discuss any discrepancies we might find, or to quickly remedy any unforeseen issues – which happens quite regularly when working on historic buildings.
Internal layout reconfigured
With this scheme we added a new mansard roof to create an extra floor of accommodation, and added a two-storey side extension to increase the living space. We reconfigured the internal layout to deliver a more flowing plan, with a large open-plan kitchen that enjoys large glazed sliding doors to connect the home with the tranquil, private garden.
As the home was in need of adaptations and alterations to the electrical layouts, we took the opportunity to complete a full refurbishment with new floor finishes and decoration. The windows were replaced and upgraded to increase the sustainability of the home while also being in keeping with the classical house style.
The project took nine months to complete, without any serious delays to the build timescales. The finished project is now a home finished in a distinctive classical style, with all the room the family could need.
Mike Vasiliou MCIOB is founder and director at DoBuild.
The January/February 2026 issue of Construction Management magazine is now available to read in digital format.
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